1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to the field of terminating devices for multiconductor insulated flat cable and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of flat flexible multiconductor cable for interconnecting electrical components and devices has become increasingly popular in recent years and has engendered the design of various connectors and terminating devices adapted to such cable. In many cases, however, the user is required to strip the insulation from selective portions of the conductors to permit the connection thereof to the contact elements of such devices. Examples of such designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,818 issued to H. Meier on June 11, 1974; U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,299 issued on Dec. 4, 1973 to E. F. Nickerson et al. and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,073 issued on Jan. 23, 1973 to R. S. Narozny, applicant herein, and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention. Attempts to at least partially overcome the limitations inherent in the above noted devices are exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,708 issued to A. D. Wedekind on Jan. 6, 1976; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,354 issued on Oct. 14, 1975 to D. S. Campbell et al. The latter two patents disclose flat cable connectors having discrete insulation piercing type contact elements adapted to eliminate the need for stripping selective portions of the insulated conductors prior to engagement or attachment thereto. In many cases, however, there is a need for joining several spaced-apart conductors of such flat cable to a common juncture where, for example, the cable is employed to transmit pulse or high frequency signals and it is desired to provide suitable isolation between the signal carrying conductors. In such cases, the conductors flanking the signal carrying conductor are generally grounded by individually interconnecting each of the discrete contact elements engaging the flanking conductors to provide a common electrical junction which may then be connected to a convenient ground point. Since the spacing between adjacent conductors may be in the order of 0.050 inches or, in the case of miniaturized cable, approximately one half of such dimension, the interconnecting operation may entail a laborious, time consuming, and relatively expensive manual manipulation in which great care must be exercised to prevent inadvertent shorting between adjacent contact elements.